Bates to Chicago Not a No Brainer

More so than Mike Martz, who appears to be the top candidate, many fans prefer to see Jeremy Bates as the new offensive coordinator of the Chicago Bears. But it may not happen. Why? JC has the scoop.

The Bears have already begun their search for a new offensive coordinator after firing Ron Turner, with ESPN's Adam Schefter reporting Wednesday that the organization has contacted USC assistant head coach Jeremy Bates about the job.

Bates would appear to make sense for Chicago, as he spent three seasons with the Broncos and was the quarterbacks coach for Jay Cutler in 2008 when the signal caller set a Denver franchise record with 4,526 yards passing.

However, Bear Report has learned through a source close to the Trojans program that Bates is more likely to join new Redskins coach Mike Shanahan, his former employer before heading to Southern California, in Washington.

As Lovie Smith has proven during his six-year stint in the Windy City, head coaches in the NFL have a tendency to hire assistants they have worked with in the past and who are familiar with their system. While Bates does have a comfortable relationship with Cutler and didn't mind getting in the passer's face from time to time when he needed to, the simple fact is that Bates is more likely to be loyal to Shanahan than to Cutler. Fresh off signing a five-year, $35 million offer in our nation's capital, Shanahan could very well add Bates to his staff again.

Moreover, since Redskins owner Daniel Snyder has a history of paying coordinators as much as some head coaches make in this league, Shanahan can likely offer Bates more money than Smith would ever get green-lighted from the McCaskey family.